BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The Northeastern State softball team won twice on the first day of the 2016 8-State Classic Friday at Memorial Park.
 
The RiverHawks (5-1) first defeated William Jewell (0-2) by a 10-2 run-rule margin before earning a 7-5 walkoff victory over Rockhurst (2-5) in the nightcap.
 
NSU's triumph over the Hawks was capped by a three-run walkoff home run by redshirt freshman Haley Acrey. She tallied two hits, three RBI and four runs scored total in the two games.
 
Junior Madison Boyd, sophomore Jessica Boone and true freshmen Kelsey Harmon and Kyla Ibarra all had three hits across the two games.
 
The RiverHawks are set to continue with the 8-State Classic at 10 a.m. Feb. 13 with a contest against Truman State. NSU is then scheduled to take on Harding at 2 p.m.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 10, WILLIAM JEWELL 2 (5 innings)
NSU scored in each of the first four innings, which included a 5-spot in the top of the fourth that sealed the run-rule triumph over the Cardinals.
 
Junior Ryan Martin and Harmon led Northeastern State from the eighth and ninth positions in the lineup. Martin was 2-for-2 with a home run and four runs batted in, while Harmon finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and one run scored.
 
Senior pitcher Kayce Wooldridge (3-0) was near perfect from the circle, as she tossed a complete game two-hitter. She tied her career high with eight strikeouts, while walking just one. She only conceded two runs, and one of those was unearned.
 
NORTHEASTERN 7, ROCKHURST 5
The RiverHawks fell behind late in the game and looked to be headed for just their second loss of the season, but Acrey's walkoff blast to left field capped a four-run seventh that powered NSU to a 5-1 start to the year.
 
NSU initially went ahead with three runs in the bottom of the second, but the Hawks responded with three runs of their own in the top of the third.
 
Rockhurst took the lead with a single run in the fifth, and the team added an insurance tally in the top of the seventh.
 
That brought NSU's top of the lineup to bat facing a 5-3 deficit.
 
Boone led off the frame with a double through the left side that narrowly got past the shortstop, and Boyd singled up the middle to put runners on the corners.
 
Ibarra singled to left center to cut Rockhurst's lead to 5-4, then sophomore Paige Gann advanced the runners to second and third on a groundout to second base.
 
That set the stage for Acrey's heroics, as she took a 1-1 count and sent the ball deep into left field. The home run easily cleared the fence and sent Northeastern State to the 7-5 triumph.
 
The home run and the three RBI were all the first of Acrey's career, and the hit was the second of her young career.
 
True freshman Taryn Gray threw the first 4.2 innings and earned a no-decision thanks to the come-from-behind victory. She allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits. Junior Jennifer Wolf (1-0) was credited with her first victory in the circle after throwing the final 2.1 frames. She gave up just one run on three hits.

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